The Dubai World Expo

THE WORLD'S LARGEST EXHIBITION

Since the Great Exhibition of London in 1851, these world-class events have always been aimed at promoting education, technical progress and cooperation between men and women from all over the world. These exhibitions are at the same time professional exhibitions, political meetings, but also scientific and cultural events for the greatest number of people.

For the organizers, they are also true showcases, since all the spotlights are on the host country for the duration of these exhibitions. Paris would not be Paris without the various universal exhibitions that have been held there: the Eiffel Tower and the Grand Palais, in particular, were specially designed for the 1889 and 1900 exhibitions.

Now it is the turn of the Middle East to host this historic event for a period of 182 days, with the participation of 192 countries from all continents, more than in any previous edition of the World's Exhibition. Each of these countries will have its own pavilion, where creations and innovations related to the theme of the exhibition will be presented.

During your stay, in addition to visiting Dubai, you could take the opportunity to visit the World's Exhibition (there is one every 5 years). A day or a half day will allow you to see the main part, and I sincerely think it's a good idea to discover this exhibition if you have the opportunity. Especially since it takes place in a host country that is not your own 🙂

In particular, you will be able to observe how Spain (or any other countries you care about) are represented in this type of global event, and learn more about the different innovations presented: sustainability, mobility, opportunities...

The next exhibition will be held in 2025 in Osaka, Japan. All the more reason to attend the one in Dubai - unless you already have a future trip to Japan planned 😉

THE DUBAI EXHIBITION SITE

More than 25 million visitors are expected to attend Expo 2020 Dubai. With a surface area of almost 1.7 mi² (4.5 km²), the exhibition site is about 10 times larger than the Vatican and is located south of Dubai in the direction of Abu Dhabi – these two cities being separated by about 1.5 hours by road.

More than 250 ultra-modern and eco-friendly buildings will welcome visitors.

At the center of the Expo 2020 Dubai site is the Al Wasl Plaza, an incredible dome-shaped building designed in collaboration with 14 countries. It is from this collaboration that it gets its name, which means "connection" in Arabic. Under the dome of the Al Wasl Plaza is the world's largest 360-degree cinema.

VISIT THE DUBAI WORLD EXPO

The Dubai World Expo site is accessible every day of the week (except in case of exceptional closure):

• Saturday through Wednesday, from 10 am to midnight,
• Thursday and Friday, from 10 am to 2 am.

To discover the first World Expo in the Middle East and the Arab Emirates, and to access all the thematic pavilions and events that are organized each day, a ticket is required. This ticket will also give you access to all the stands on the Expo 2020 Dubai site.

You can choose between several options:

• A ticket valid for one day (on a specific date)

• A 30-day pass

• A seasonal expo Dubai pass, valid for the entire duration of the exhibition

The access to the site is completely free for children under 18 years old, adults over 60 years old and students (on presentation of a valid card).

"CONNECTING MINDS, CREATING THE FUTURE"

This is the theme that has been chosen for this Expo 2020 Dubai. For years now, Dubai has been looking towards the world of tomorrow, and has been making every effort to modernize itself and become a true cultural and tourist hub in the Middle East. This city was therefore the perfect place to host the first ever World Expo to be held in the MENASA region. This exhibition will also be a great opportunity to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the United Arab Emirates.

The Dubai World Expo will focus on three concepts that are particularly important in today's fast-paced, technology-driven world: sustainability, mobility and opportunity.

THE SUSTAINABILITY DISTRICT

The goal is clear: this World Expo in Dubai must be the most sustainable of all. While large projects were launched without necessarily thinking about the aftermath in many previous editions, sustainability has been at the heart of the concerns from the very beginning for the Dubai Expo. The Dubai World Expo also aims to meet the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.

This means that long after the 182 days of the event, the infrastructure will still be used to benefit the entire economy of the region, but also to raise awareness of the importance of choosing this path of sustainability for future projects. After the exhibition ends, the site will become a new district of Dubai: District 2020. 80% of the infrastructure built for the occasion will continue to be used as offices, schools, entertainment venues and residences.

Some buildings will even be dismantled and reused elsewhere, such as the France Pavilion, which will later be moved to Toulouse.

In Terra, the Sustainability Pavilion, you can learn about the importance of nature and discover some of the projects that are already being implemented to preserve our planet and allow future generations to live better in harmony with their environment.

Here are some examples of the wonders you can discover in the pavilions of the sustainability district:

• In the Singapore pavilion, you will be able to enter areconstituted tropical forest, and walk 29 feet high (9 meters) in the canopy
• In the Brazil pavilion, you will cross a waterfall and discover the richness of this country’s fauna and flora.
• In the Netherlands pavilion, you will discover a state-of-the-art system capable of optimizing harvests and the use of water and energy.
• In the Germany pavilion, a virtual reality experience awaits you – to discover the next great technological innovations.

To access the schedule of events and animations, you can follow this link. If you are particularly interested in an event or an animation, I can only advise you to book your entrance in advance, in order to be sure to be able to attend it on the desired date. In case of high attendance, there may be restrictions / maximum capacities put in place (especially with the current epidemic).

THE MOBILITY DISTRICT

• In the Russia pavilion, you will be able to get an overview of the importance of creativity in the progress made every day by men and women
• In the France pavilion, you will see "Lumière, Lumières", where an original collection of  Diderot's Encyclopedia will be on display.
• In the Australia pavilion, you will learn 60,000 years of discovery history.
• In the Republic of Korea pavilion, you will take a tour between the virtual and the real, to better understand the importance of mobility.

THE OPPORTUNITY DISTRICT

To make progress and create a better future for all, we must be able to make the most of every opportunity and take full advantage of everyone's potential. The Opportunity District highlights how every action, no matter how small, can impact millions of people and ultimately lead to great advances.

In the Impossible Mission (the Opportunity Pavilion), you can meet people who have made this impact on the lives of many, as well as participate in workshops specifically designed to encourage the exchange of ideas and growth.

• The Switzerland pavilion offers the opportunity to go on a hike, during which you will discover how Switzerland plans to overcome the challenges that will arise in the coming years.
• The Monaco pavilion is a real garden that offers a sensory experience, allowing visitors to see things from a new perspective.
• The Ukraine Pavilion focuses on intelligence and the need to use it in all areas to build a more balanced society.

GETTING TO THE DUBAI WORLD EXHIBITION

If you are driving to the Expo site via the E77 Expo Road, E311 Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road or D54 Zayed Bin Hamdan al Nahyan Roadde l’Expo E77, there are several free parking lots.

You can park freely from 8:30 am to 12:30 am from Saturday to Wednesday, and from 8:30 am to 2:30 am on Thursday and Friday.
From these parking lots, you can take a free shuttle bus to the Expo 2020 entrance.

If you are coming from Abu Dhabi, the easiest and quickest way to get to the Expo is to take a bus to the Expo gates. Buses run from Abu Dhabi to Expo 2020 and back daily for the duration of the event. For more details on these routes, you can follow this link.

We have come to the end of this article on the Dubai World Exhibition. I hope you found it useful 😊